Sudden Surge

(Bai Ziye)

"Thank you so much! Let's find a place to eat after the Idol Festival!"

"Although I would love to accept your invitation, we will be leaving Skyreach City after tomorrow's final."

To the somewhat disappointed reply from the Antarctic Star, Ceruno said, "Oh! There's always another chance. I'll come find you at the Arctic next time!"

I live in the Antarctic Circle.

"..."

Awkwardly yet joyfully, Ceruno bid farewell to Antarctic Star and Freya, then turned around, tossing the USB drive containing the original soundtrack and sheet music between her fingers.

"Yezi, do you think this song, 'Wings of Foam,' will help me win the Idol Festival?"

Just now, with Freya playing the piano, Antarctic Star sang it as a demonstration.

The lively melody doesn't quite match the usual expressionless style of the Antarctic Star, but the song itself is indeed very beautiful and healing.

Most importantly... this song suits Ceruno's current style perfectly.

This was indeed the decisive song that Miss Freya had tailored for her.

"I think it's possible, but you need to figure out how to pass the third round first... I gave you the test paper in advance, you should have found the answers, right?"

Of course!

Ceruno pointed in the direction of my house with her thumb.

"Let's go back to the room, someone wants you to listen carefully!"

That posture... it looked like she wanted to wrestle with me.

"Woof!"

The Golden sat up from the sofa and then transformed into human form.

Ceruno has already explained the matter of the Golden to me, so all I need to do now is feign surprise.

"I want to go too!"

She had just gotten up when Aunt Yuehan pressed her back down.

"No, Goldie wants to sleep with me tonight too."

"Why? I want to sleep with Master Yezi too!"

"Because you're a girl now."

"I can turn back into a dog."

Golden tilted its head, puzzled, and asked, "Besides, isn't Ceruno a girl too?"

"That's true, but Ceruno is different."

Without explaining the difference, Aunt Yuehan waved her hand at us, indicating that we should go back... Did she not mind at all that her daughter and I spent the night together?

"Let's go, Yezi."

Ceruno dragged me away.

A corridor was built between the two houses, which has indeed made things much more convenient.

In just a few steps, I returned from A-Yao's living room to my own bedroom. Ceruno turned on the computer and entered a password that only we knew.

"Yezi ~ I've been sleeping in your room these past two days."

While waiting for the computer to boot up, she suddenly said this out of the blue.

"The rooms they used after the renovation were too small, so they ended up using them as a nest on the Golden. There's nowhere else for them to sleep. Should we let them sleep here from now on?"

That sweet, coquettish tone made me a little uncomfortable.

Although this was my own request, she got completely into character...

"Does that mean I have to keep sleeping on the bubble bed?"

"No need, we can all sleep in the bed. We can always get a bigger one if necessary."

She was looking at the monitor while speaking, but I noticed her gaze through the reflection in the monitor.

She was observing my reaction in as calm a tone as possible; if I didn't object at that moment, it would be tantamount to acquiescing to something...

And certain relationships.

"Ceruno, what is our relationship now?" I asked.

"... Ugh, aren't we childhood sweethearts?"

That's quite a cunning and ambiguous answer.

I put my hand on her shoulder and sighed, "We're friends, very close friends, but you're a girl now. Even if we're friends of the opposite sex, we shouldn't share a bed, right?"

As a result, her soft face puffed up like a pufferfish.

She's angry.

"Yezi, don't you really understand what they mean?"

"..."

I don't know how to answer.

At this point, trying to persuade her to turn back into A-Yao would only make her angry.

Seeing that I remained silent, she summoned her wand, covered the walls of the room with Bubble Membrane, and then grabbed my collar, trying to throw me onto the bed...

But it didn't budge.

"Huh?"

She was surprised, and so was I.

My physical abilities as "Bai Ziye" are stronger than Ceruno's. Is this a "side effect" of fusing with the Crystal?

It's absurd that a magical girl can't move an ordinary person. After only a moment's hesitation, I was thrown onto the bed.

"Yezi..."

She stood by the bed with her hands on her hips, her expression strange, as if she were brewing some profound emotion.

"I... can't go back to being me, okay?"

"The Vega Crystal has been corrupted by Dark Energy, and the transformation can no longer be reversed! You'll be a magical girl for the rest of your life!"

"Not only will I have to fight as a magical girl forever, but I'll also have to live my whole life as a girl!"

Why can't you understand!

"I like you, can't you even tell?"

"Or is it because I was originally A-Yao that you feel disgusted?"

"Are you going to deny me too?"

Ceruno climbed onto the bed on her knees, placing her hands on either side of my head and kneeling beside me.

She was very emotional, and her posture was rather awkward.

Negative emotions can stimulate the proliferation of Dark Energy and cause emotions to run rampant and spiral out of control...

Pat, pat.

Wet liquid dripped onto my face... I have to say something.

"Calm down, Ceruno. I've never found you disgusting. Like I said in Hawaii, I will respect whatever you choose."

She retorted, "Then why won't you accept me?"

He reached out and wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Fool, when did I ever stop accepting you?"

"Then, I'm going to confess my feelings to you! Right now!"

She gritted her teeth, her face flushed, and continued to lower her posture.

The softness of her breasts pressed against my chest;

My long hair fell across my face;

My hot eyes were still fogged up.

Even if you were Miluno, you'd find it hard to stay rational when faced with a girl who makes that face.

This is bad!

"Wait, what about your promise to Miluno?"

I pressed down on her arm to stop her from going any further, but Ceruno propped herself up and ended up sitting on my stomach...

Without the obstruction of a skirt, the shape can still be clearly felt.

This might be considered a normal delivery.

"... Miss Miluno was also a man who turned into a woman. Although I don't know why she hid it, since she's male, she can accept me as I am now, right?"

"But she might not accept me, Ceruno. If you choose me, Miluno will leave you."

She shifted her position on my stomach a couple of times.

As a seasoned otaku, this guy couldn't possibly be completely oblivious to such provocative poses.

She did it on purpose.

"... So! Do you want me to choose Miluno?"

"The choice is yours."

"I admire Miluno, but I like you, Yezi, even more."

"So, have you decided to choose me?"

"Hmm..."

I regained control of the conversation and pressed her with the questions she posed.

As long as "Miluno" still holds weight in her heart, she will not give an answer at this moment.

But there's one thing I do understand.

Her current struggles and anxieties are things I imposed on her... they are meaningless.

"Calm down, get off me."

Ceruno rolled over and lay sprawled next to me.

She seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Yezi, am I being fickle by liking two people at the same time?"

I think this should be called "devotion," right?

It's hard for me to refuse someone who will love me no matter what I become...

"Don't say that. Feelings are something you can't control."

But I don't want to tell her yet.

I don't know what I'm afraid of, but that day... might not be too far away.

That's what my usually accurate intuition tells me.

"Have you vented enough?"

He sat up in bed, smiled wryly, and reached out his hand to her.

"Well then, Miss Idol... it's time for us to practice singing."